"Then the Lord said, “Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not my people and I am not your God.”(Hosea 1:9)
I have never had someone deny me. I can't even begin to imagine the level of hurt one would experience if a parent or a child decided they wanted nothing to do with you. That you were essentially dead to them.
The prophet Hosea pronounced the ending of the relationship between God and his people. Basically voiding a covenant that said I will be your God and you will be my people.
While I certainly know people who say that's not my God, pretty much they don't believe in any God, I still hold fast to the belief that we are all God's people.
Blessings,
Ed
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Reflection for July 4, 2017
"Hear this, you that trample on the needy, and bring to ruin the poor of the land,saying, “When will the new moon be over so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.”(Amos 8:4-6)
and the sabbath, so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great, and practice deceit with false balances, buying the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.”(Amos 8:4-6)
Today we celebrate the birth of our nation. There will be parades, patriotic ceremonies, back yard barbecues and fireworks! All of this as we recognize the greatest country in the world. One built on the premise of a new start for the tired and the oppressed in other lands. Where everyone is supposed to have an opportunity to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
And while our ideals our strong, they are not always lived out. And the words that the prophet Amos reports that those with economic power said in his day, are still true today. We as a country can and should do better. We need to expose greed and dishonesty that takes advantage of the less fortunate in our midst.
Blessings,
Ed
Reflection for July 3, 2017
" Then Amos answered and said to Amaziah, “I was[a] no prophet, nor a prophet's son, but I was a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore figs."(Amos 7:14)
From time to time we hear of someone in the news doing something "heroic." They will of course deny that they are a hero, they were just happy to be able to help.
Most of us will from time to time fall into a roll that we do not believe suits us. We don't see ourselves in that way and do not wish the title. Yet in that moment it may be that was exactly what we are.
Amos didn't see himself as a prophet, yet that was exactly what he was doing. He might have rather been seen as just a dresser of sycamore trees. We might say I'm just an average guy or gal on the street.
But we shouldn't be afraid to accept the credit when we've done something extraordinary that isn't our usual day to day way of being.
Blessings,
Ed
From time to time we hear of someone in the news doing something "heroic." They will of course deny that they are a hero, they were just happy to be able to help.
Most of us will from time to time fall into a roll that we do not believe suits us. We don't see ourselves in that way and do not wish the title. Yet in that moment it may be that was exactly what we are.
Amos didn't see himself as a prophet, yet that was exactly what he was doing. He might have rather been seen as just a dresser of sycamore trees. We might say I'm just an average guy or gal on the street.
But we shouldn't be afraid to accept the credit when we've done something extraordinary that isn't our usual day to day way of being.
Blessings,
Ed
Sunday, July 2, 2017
Reflection for July 2, 2017
"Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine."(Amos 5:11)
you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine."(Amos 5:11)
When I lived in South Jersey, there were times when I went into the city of Camden. Camden is one of the poorest cities in America. There was a time when it was a manufacturing place with plenty of jobs and some very lovely homes in them. The same is true in Trenton when I drive to the Cathedral I can see what once were lovely homes.
I do not blame the people that have to live there now, but what happens when we begin to neglect the less fortunate among us. When we relax in our own comfort while just around the corner the exact opposite is happening.
The prophet Amos warned the people that living in the lap of luxury was not guaranteed to last forever, especially when we ignore the less fortunate in our midst.
Blessings,
Ed
I do not blame the people that have to live there now, but what happens when we begin to neglect the less fortunate among us. When we relax in our own comfort while just around the corner the exact opposite is happening.
The prophet Amos warned the people that living in the lap of luxury was not guaranteed to last forever, especially when we ignore the less fortunate in our midst.
Blessings,
Ed
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Reflection for July 1, 2017
"They do not know how to do right, says the Lord, those who store up violence and robbery in their strongholds."(Amos 3:10)
I don't know if we live in a more violent time than any other. Maybe, but we certainly are more aware of the violence in our world and sometimes in our own neighborhoods. People seem more edgy than I remember and they are certainly stressed and in this country we love our guns.
There are of course many peaceful sane people that own guns, but sadly there are also really heinous humans that own them, literally crazy people and then those randomly normal people who just snap. Because we don't know how to healthily deal with our anger and disappointment, the violence gets stored up.
We can also feel robbed of our own dignity sometimes in a world that just seems to chew us up and spit us out.
And because of all this we begin to lose sight of knowing how to do right. And yet that is what we as Christians are called to do. But our society does not make our task easy.
Blessings,
Ed
I don't know if we live in a more violent time than any other. Maybe, but we certainly are more aware of the violence in our world and sometimes in our own neighborhoods. People seem more edgy than I remember and they are certainly stressed and in this country we love our guns.
There are of course many peaceful sane people that own guns, but sadly there are also really heinous humans that own them, literally crazy people and then those randomly normal people who just snap. Because we don't know how to healthily deal with our anger and disappointment, the violence gets stored up.
We can also feel robbed of our own dignity sometimes in a world that just seems to chew us up and spit us out.
And because of all this we begin to lose sight of knowing how to do right. And yet that is what we as Christians are called to do. But our society does not make our task easy.
Blessings,
Ed
Friday, June 30, 2017
Reflection for June 30, 2017
"Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment;because they sell the righteous for silver,and the needy for a pair of sandals"(Amos 2:6)
One of the things I remember being taught in Seminary was the concept of preferential option for the poor. The basic idea is that God cares very much about how the poor are treated. It isn't that he hates rich people, but he surely pays attention to how they treat those much less fortunate than themselves.
The Bible is full of examples of this, the above is just one. But are we in our day beginning to sell out the poor to get something for ourselves. We are part of the whole human family and when others suffer so that we can have something, then we might want to consider whether God is actually pleased with that.
Blessings,
Ed
One of the things I remember being taught in Seminary was the concept of preferential option for the poor. The basic idea is that God cares very much about how the poor are treated. It isn't that he hates rich people, but he surely pays attention to how they treat those much less fortunate than themselves.
The Bible is full of examples of this, the above is just one. But are we in our day beginning to sell out the poor to get something for ourselves. We are part of the whole human family and when others suffer so that we can have something, then we might want to consider whether God is actually pleased with that.
Blessings,
Ed
Reflection for June 29, 2017
"Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe."(Acts 28:24)
What convinces you of something? Perhaps it was an effective teacher. Maybe a great speaker. Some people read and are convinced. When it comes to faith for me, I can't say that it was any one thing, but a combination of things that has over the years nurtured that growing faith.
It may be different for me because I've been nurtured in the faith from the moment I came out of the womb. So I've heard good preaching but that didn't convince me, I've read the Bible and other writings but that's not what convinced me. I've had good teachers but that is not what convinced me. As I wrote all of those have played a part. So what does convince me?
Living out my faith every day in community, that's what convinces me.
Blessings,
Ed
What convinces you of something? Perhaps it was an effective teacher. Maybe a great speaker. Some people read and are convinced. When it comes to faith for me, I can't say that it was any one thing, but a combination of things that has over the years nurtured that growing faith.
It may be different for me because I've been nurtured in the faith from the moment I came out of the womb. So I've heard good preaching but that didn't convince me, I've read the Bible and other writings but that's not what convinced me. I've had good teachers but that is not what convinced me. As I wrote all of those have played a part. So what does convince me?
Living out my faith every day in community, that's what convinces me.
Blessings,
Ed
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